SPD style shoes for switch training.

[Justin MD]

I have my 5ten Impact shoes and Shimano Saint pedals. Love it. My wife rides on the road sometimes so I traded my SS for a roadie.

I was a swimmer and a skater when I was younger and my punk ass hates tight clothes. I'll be scorned but I will never be seen with nut hugging lycra ever again. So I don't mind wearing my baggies on the road. Hell I will even make more roadies give me dirty looks and wear my Bell Super and my MULE. So to take it one step further I would like get a set of pedals and shoes I can wear on my roadie AND on my MTB.

I was looking at the 5ten Hellcat. I have a set of Shimano 540 that came with my old SS. I can throw those on the roady.

But my question is, what pedal will offer both clipped and clipless options that will be grippy like my Impact/Saint combo? I ride some XC at night on my Niner but I also ride some pretty steep granite and tech when the sun is up. There is no way in a dog's h3ll will I be clipped in for some of these sketchy tech drops.

Any advise?

[AndrwSwitch]

Why can't you use your flats full-time?

[Justin MD]

I can. But I thought if I put a switch pedal on the Niner I could clip going up and un clip going down. I just wanted the same shoe to do both road and trail. Something I can wear while off the road bike while my wife hobbles around in her clown shoes. I looked at a few dual pedals but they seem weak in the grip dept.

[4Crawler]

I run Shimano A530 dual SPD pedals on my cross bike. I installed about a dozen pins on the platform side of each pedal and they have very good grip on the softer soled Keen shoes I usually wear.

[AndrwSwitch]

Oh, I misunderstood the initial question.

Those dual-sided pedals pretty much suck, IME. I felt like I was always getting the wrong side. Do you really want to have to refind the good flat side while you're descending? Good clipless shoes are usually also pretty bad if you're not clipping in with them.

Doesn't really change my rhetorical question of post #2.

[Justin MD]

Oh, I misunderstood the initial question.

Those dual-sided pedals pretty much suck, IME. I felt like I was always getting the wrong side. Do you really want to have to refind the good flat side while you're descending? Good clipless shoes are usually also pretty bad if you're not clipping in with them.

Doesn't really change my rhetorical question of post #2.

I am just thinking about getting a SPD shoe to go with the SPD pedals I have for riding the roadie. Since I have the shoe it was a thought to get some pedals for my Niner as well. But the idea of being clipped through tech is kinda un-nerving. But if the dual purpose pedals are horrible for grip on the clipless side I'll just pass all together.

[Joules]

If you're asking if there is a clipless/flat combo pedal that's as good a flat as a good flat the answer is obviously no.

My first suggestion, since you clearly don't care about fashion or being as fast as possible on the road is why not use flats there too? Or just keep the clipless on the road, flat on the mtb?

If you are sure you want clipless on the road, sometimes on the mtb, you're going to have to switch pedals or live with a lot of compromise in "flat mode". I'd much rather be clipped in on a proper clipless pedal in tech than be half assed on a clipless/flat combo.

[4Crawler]

I am just thinking about getting a SPD shoe to go with the SPD pedals I have for riding the roadie. Since I have the shoe it was a thought to get some pedals for my Niner as well. But the idea of being clipped through tech is kinda un-nerving. But if the dual purpose pedals are horrible for grip on the clipless side I'll just pass all together.

Without any pins, that flats on my dual pedals were pretty slippery. But after adding 6 pins on each side, the grip is very good, at least with a softer sole shoe.